Bioaccumulation of Bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate and Mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate by Lumbriculus variegatus.

The brominated flame retardant bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) is used widely in consumer items including polyurethane foam used in furniture. Information on its bioaccumulation in aquatic species is limited. In the current study, sediment bioaccumulation tests with the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus were performed on a spiked natural sediment equilibrated for 14.

Bioaccumulation of Highly Hydrophobic Chemicals by Lumbriculus variegatus.

Bioaccumulation of highly hydrophobic chemicals (log K> 8) from contaminated sediments by Lumbriculus variegatus has been studied for relatively few chemicals, and the measured and model predicted biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) can differ by orders of magnitude. In the current study, sediment bioaccumulation tests with L. variegatus were performed on sediments dosed with chemicals having a wide range of predicted n-octanol/water partition coefficients (K; 10-10), including some higher than most highly hydrophobic chemicals studied to date.

Sediment Bioaccumulation Test with Lumbriculus variegatus: Effects of Organism Loading.

At contaminated sediment sites, the bioavailability of contaminants in sediments is assessed using sediment-bioaccumulation tests with Lumbriculus variegates (Lv). The testing protocols recommend that ratio of total organic carbon (TOC) in sediment to L. variegatus (dry weight) (TOC/Lv) should be no less than 50:1.

Sediment bioaccumulation test with Lumbriculus variegatus: effects of feeding.

Standard sediment-bioaccumulation test methods specify that Lumbriculus variegatus should not be fed during the 28-day exposure. This lack of feeding can lead to decreases in L. variegatus weight and lipid content during the 28-day exposure period.